Abstract: Disclosed is a nonaqueous electrolyte for a lithium-ion secondary battery that contains an addictive for preventing destruction of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer and hence decomposition of the electrolyte that may cause generation of a gas, thereby preventing swelling of the battery caused by the gas generated from the inside of the battery at a high temperature. More specifically, the present invention provides an electrolyte that includes, as an additive, 2-sulfobenzoic acid cyclic anhydride represented by the formula 1: The electrolyte contains the additive in an amount of 0.1 to 10.0 wt. %.

Abstract: Novel addressing schemes for controlling electronically addressable displays include a scheme for rear-addressing displays, which allows for in-plane switching of the display material. Other schemes include a rear-addressing scheme which uses a retroreflecting surface to enable greater viewing angle and contrast. Another scheme includes an electrode structure that facilitates manufacture and control of a color display. Another electrode structure facilitates addressing a display using an electrostatic stylus. Methods of using the disclosed electrode structures are also disclosed. Another scheme includes devices combining display materials with silicon transistor addressing structures.

Abstract: There is provided an organic electronic device having an anode and a cathode and having organic layers therebetween. The organic layers are, in order: a buffer layer including a conductive polymer and a fluorinated acid polymer; a hole transport layer; a photoactive layer including a dopant material and a host material; and an electron transport layer; wherein at least one of the dopant material and the host material is a fused polycyclic aromatic compound.

Abstract: A local positioning system comprises a plurality of sensor elements that may communicate with mobile units in a wireless fashion. The responsiveness of the mobile units is measured by yes/no answers and averaged so as to provide a measure of the distance of a mobile unit to a specified sensor element. Based on this measure and the known positions of the sensor element, the position of the mobile unit is estimated, for instance by a model of ideal springs.

Abstract: Use of a composition comprising finely divided particles of (a) an electrically-conductive material; (b) one or more inorganic binders; and (c) zinc, wherein components (a), (b) and (c) are dispersed in a liquid vehicle, in the manufacture of an electrically-conductive pattern on a substrate for the purpose of increasing the resistivity of said electrically-conductive pattern.

Abstract: Highly fluorinated ion-exchange polymers achieve dissolution in aqueous tetrahydrofuran at lower pressures and temperatures than in other solvents, with few or no side products being formed.

Abstract: Novel addressing schemes for controlling electronically addressable displays include a scheme for rear-addressing displays, which allows for in-plane switching of the display material. Other schemes include a rear-addressing scheme which uses a retroreflecting surface to enable greater viewing angle and contrast. Another scheme includes an electrode structure that facilitates manufacture and control of a color display. Another electrode structure facilitates addressing a display using an electrostatic stylus. Methods of using the disclosed electrode structures are also disclosed. Another scheme includes devices combining display materials with silicon transistor addressing structures.

Abstract: Rack includes a left upright frame, a right upright frame, and a connector extending between and joining the left and right frames. The connector defines at least one passage extending along the left upright frame, for example, so that another rack may be nested within a volume defined by the rack for reducing storage space requirements. The rack may have its connector oriented so that the rack has a substantially Z-shaped frame, a substantially X-shaped frame, a substantially U-shaped frame, a substantially V-shaped frame, or a substantially H-shaped frame, for example, when viewed from above. A lifting element may be provided on an upper portion of the rack for use with institutional and industrial lifting mechanisms. The lifting element may be mounted on the rack so as to avoid interference with another rack when the racks are nesting.

Abstract: The performance of electro-wetting displays can be improved by: (a) providing a concealment member (112) which conceals the moving fluid (108) when that fluid (108) is confined to a small area; (b) using the moving fluid to cover one or more sections of a filter or reflector having differently-colored sections; (c) moving the moving fluid between the rear surface and a side surface of a microcell; (d) using as a substrate for a moving fluid a substrate resistant to wetting by the fluid but pierced by multiple conductive vias capped with a material wetted by the fluid; and (e) coloring the moving fluid with pigments or nanoparticles.

Abstract: An electronic device made by a process that includes forming a first layer over a substrate and placing a first liquid composition over a first portion of the first layer. The first liquid composition includes at least a first guest material and a first liquid medium. The first liquid composition comes in contact with the first layer and a substantial amount of the first guest material intermixes with the first layer. An electronic device includes a substrate and a continuous first layer overlying the substrate. The continuous layer includes a first portion in which an electronic component lies and a second portion where no electronic component lies. The first portion is at least 30 nm thick and includes a first guest material, and the second portion is no more than 40 nm thick.

Abstract: This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid fragment encoding a RNA-directed RNA polymerase. The invention also relates to the construction of a chimeric gene encoding all or a substantial portion of the RNA-directed RNA polymerase, in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric gene results in production of altered levels of the RNA-directed RNA polymerase in a transformed host cell.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to devices and methods of using a surgical drain, and more particularly to a surgical drain having at least one sensor for monitoring and/or recording the condition of the anatomical site or fluid emitted from the site where the surgical drain is placed. The invention may also include modifications of the surgical drain to improve stabilization or immobilization in the proximity of the anatomical site to be monitored.

Abstract: System and apparatus for measuring pressure comprising a microelectronic device, an interface member attached to the microelectronic device, a pressure sensor having a diaphragm responsive to external pressure exerted upon the diaphragm, wherein the interface member is positioned between the microelectronic device and the pressure sensor and is attached to the pressure sensor providing a first cavity between the pressure sensor diaphragm and the interface member and wherein the pressure in the first cavity is set at an initial predetermined pressure.

Abstract: Methods and systems provide a computer markup language, referred to as Reusable Data Markup Language (“RDML”), and a data viewer for retrieving, manipulating and viewing documents and files in the RDML format that may be stored locally or over a network (e.g., the Internet). Generally, RDML permits the browsing and manipulation of numbers, as opposed to text and images like in HTML, and does so by including attributes describing the meaning of the numbers to be attached to the numbers. Documents compliant with the markup language encapsulate machine-readable documentation with numbers and data, and permit the data viewer to act as a combination web browser and spreadsheet to automatically read, interpret and manipulate the numbers and data.

Abstract: The present invention applies to the collection of solid waste into underground equipment and it refers to a system by which an underground pit is used to house one or more solid waste container(s). The system for the collection of solid waste as described by the current invention has a hydraulically activated platform on which one or more waste containers can be placed. It is made up of a bottom structure, a lid, an external surface, one or more deposit bins, two or more hydraulic cylinders, two or more structures that push and support the lid and a leveling structure. This platform, which can match the slope of the surrounding surface, is leveled and secured to a concrete pit.

Abstract: A system for inputting information relating to a service or a product selected online by a user into a portable, short-range wireless communication device includes: a first server for storing a first information facilitating the user to select a product or a service, the first server generating a second information relating to the product or the service selected by the user, a second server generating a third information from the second information and embedding the third information in a short-range wireless communication data unit; a client device providing access to the first server; a communications network interconnecting the first server and the client device; a portable, short-range wireless communication capable device for receiving the short-range wireless communication data unit; and a communications system for forwarding the short-range wireless communication data unit from the first server to the portable, short-range wireless communication capable device.

Abstract: An agglutinant compound and agglutinated product for reconstituting powders of vegetal origin, that allow employing a lamination or similar process, being said agglutinated product comprised of agglutinant compound and a vegetal mass formed by the powder of vegetal origin, that may range from 5-50% (mass/mass, regarding the powder mass used), with drying temperature ranging between 100-400° C., thickness between 0.05-2.50 mm and vegetal film humidity between 8 and 20%; being said agglutinant compound formed only by a mixture of polymers of hydroxylated organic acids, such as lactic acid and malic acid, and it may contain agents improving its agglutinant and sensorial properties.

Abstract: The present invention regards a microwave oven (1) of the type having a height lower than width comprising a cooking chamber (3) having a support surface (12) for a food product, a microwave source (8) and means (10) for sending the microwaves from said source (8) into the cooking chamber (3), characterised in that said support surface is formed by a dielectric material having a dielectric constant ?? in the range of 1-9 and a loss factor ?? less than 0.01 at the frequency of 2450 MHz. The present invention also regards an apparatus (30) for preparing ready-to-eat meals comprising a pasta cooker and a microwave oven (1) of the aforesaid type.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing a preform of glass material for optical fibres. A chemical deposition chamber, at least one burner mobile along a direction Z and adapted to deposit a chemical substance on at least an elongated element positioned along an axis Z-Z, at least one suction element mobile along the direction Z for collecting exhaust chemical substances, a collector tube associated with the at least one suction element and adapted to discharge the exhaust chemical substances outside the chemical deposition chamber through an exhaust opening formed on a wall of the chamber, and a coupling device between the collector tube and the wall at the exhaust opening, allowing sliding of the collector along the direction Z and along a direction X towards/away from the axis z-z.